Safety is every community association’s priority. Although Dallas homeowners associations were not created or designed to provide security for the neighborhood, Dallas associations typically do use lighting, security cameras, gate locks and electronic access cards to help keep their communities safe. But, there’s another overlooked aspect of a good security program: landscaping!
Since criminals usually like to take their victims by surprise, they tend to commit crimes in places that offer hiding spots. Dense hedges or bushes or trees with low hanging foliage can provide perfect cover for criminals. To eliminate these hiding spots and help reduce the potential for crime, the Board and Dallas HOA management company should assess and possibly change the community’s landscaping. Doing so could also help reduce the association’s liability for any crimes that do occur.
Making your Dallas HOA landscaping safer needn’t be expensive or involve major modifications to your existing landscaping. Here are four tips for making your Dallas homeowners association’s landscape safer:
Tip #1: Plant thorny shrub barriers. Criminals like to have multiple points of entry and exit. By limiting the number of entrances and exits at the community, criminals will be less inclined to make a stop there. Installing thorny shrub barriers at the perimeter of the parking lot and between your association and the neighboring community can limit the number of entrances and exits for criminals.
Tip #2: Trim height and width of shrubs. With the exception of thorny shrub barriers, overgrown shrubs that are easy to hide behind can actually increase crime. The way to eliminate these hiding spots for criminals is to trim the height and width of shrubs in the parking lots and other common areas.
Tip #3: Trim tree canopies. Trees with low or overgrown foliage can be a perfect place for a criminal to hide while waiting for a victim to pass by. The Board and Dallas HOA management company can work with the Dallas landscaping company or professional tree trimming company to trim the trees to a safe level. Also, make sure that the trees don’t become overgrown to the point where they obscure lighting. Improperly lit areas create another advantage for criminals.
Tip #4: Flatten berms. Many associations have berms in front of them. Often, these berms are covered by grass or flowers. But if the berms are planted in front of the parking lot, they can obstruct the view of the parking lot from the street. This reduced visibility may make the parking lot a more attractive target for criminals. If the association has berms that are obstructing the view from the street, consider flattening them.
For further information, contact your Dallas HOA Management Company or professional landscape company.
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San Antonio HOA’s Check Insurance before Sponsoring Special Events
Before holding any special events such as softball games, carnivals, National Night Out Events or other festivals (especially those that might include a bounce house), be sure to check whether your community’s general liability insurance and umbrella policies cover such events. Although these events are intended to foster a sense of community, an unexpected injury that exposes the association to liability might defeat this purpose.
Insurers often exclude special events related injuries from a community’s general liability and umbrella coverage. If your community’s policies do not cover special events, ask your community’s insurance broker if you can buy and “endorsement” that adds the excluded risk to their coverage. Your San Antonio HOA management company can assist the board in asking for this special endorsement.
Also, if your community is sponsoring an event that includes the potential for extreme risk and involves contracting with an outside vendor, for example, balloon rides, carefully review the contract to make sure there is adequate language holding the community harmless from third-party claims. And verify that the outside vendor has adequate liability insurance. The San Antonio HOA management company can ask for a Certificate of Insurance or COI from the vendor and keep it on file in case of insurance claims.
In the case of balloon rides, experts recommend at least $10 million of liability coverage. The Board may also want to buy a special events policy that covers the community itself for its sponsorship of a one-day event. If the association is unable to get coverage or to transfer the liability to another party, the Board of Directors should seriously consider not holding the event.
For further information on insurance or liability issues, consult your association’s insurance broker or your San Antonio HOA management company.
Spectrum Association Management is a homeowners association, condominium association and high rise association management company serving Dallas, Fort Worth, San Antonio, Houston and Austin areas. To learn more about Spectrum Association Management visit us at http://www.spectrumam.com/ or to request a quote for management click here. Also be sure to “like” us on Facebook by clicking the following link: http://www.facebook.com/spectrum.association.mgmt.